Zia Mody

Zia Mody is a prominent Indian legal consultant and active member of the Baha'i Faith. She is considered an authority on corporate merger & acquisitions law, securities law, private equity and project finance. She is currently a Senior Partner of the Law Firm of AZB & Partners which has its offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore in India.

Biography
Zia Mody studied law at Cambridge University, obtaining her degree in 1978, followed by a masters degree from Harvard Law School. Between 1979 and 1983, Mody worked with Baker & McKenzie in New York City. She started her own practice in 1984, "and then went into partnership and started the firm, CZB & Partners, Advocates & Solicitors between January 2002 and March 2004. CZB & Partners then merged with Ajay Bahl & Associates and was renamed as AZB & Partners, Advocates & Solicitors (Mumbai, New Delhi & Bangalore) from April 2004 onwards. The firm has over 120 lawyers." now India's second-largest law firm, where she is a senior partner. She is also a member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India's Standing Committee on Mutual Funds, and of the Capital Market Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

"Zia Mody's primary practice consists of M&A, Private Equity, Securities Laws, BPO related work and Litigation. She has practiced in the Indian Courts for over 15 years as Counsel. She has also advised several International and Indian clients in significant M&A transactions. Apart from her commitment to the legal practice Mrs. Mody is also a committed Baha'i by religion and serves as a member on various Baha'i organizations and Baha'i sponsored NGOs in the field of education and empowerment of rural women." Mrs. Mody is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation-HSBC, Hong Kong."

Zia Mody is also chairperson of the legal process outsourcing firm, Bodhi Global, where, according to their website, her experience "includes the following practice areas: Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Foreign Inward Investment Related Practice and Corporate Law (major corporate acquisitions in India and overseas acquisitions by Indian companies, and resultant restructuring; foreign investment into India and regulatory approvals, drafting of relevant documentation; corporate and foreign exchange related advice and regulatory compliances); Project and Other Financing (oil and gas, power and telecommunication projects and other lender financing issues); Securities Law & Capital Markets (legal advisor to issuers and underwriters in FCCB and Eurobond transactions; counsel for major financial intermediaries in proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Securities Appellate Tribunal and the Supreme Court of India); Litigation and Arbitration (appeared before various courts and forums, including High Courts throughout India, as well as the Supreme Court of India, in matters involving indirect tax, commercial and company law and constitutional issues); Offshore Funds/Venture Capital/Private Equity Funds (structured various offshore equity funds in Mauritius; counsel to venture capital companies and private equity funds, as well as major private equity funds and investors for investments into India); Mutual Funds (advised mutual funds and asset management companies)."

Zia is actively involved in business and charitable organizations: Member, the SEBI Standing Committee on Mutual Funds; Member, Capital Markets Committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry; Member, National Council on Corporate Governance and Regulatory Framework of the Confederation of Indian Industry; Member, Mutual Funds Committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry; Director, Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, Hong Kong; Trustee, New Era High School, Panchgani, Maharashtra; and Trustee, J. N. Petit Trust, Mumbai.

Mody is the daughter of well known Indian jurist Soli J. Sorabjee and is an active member of the Baha'i Faith and a Board Member of the New Era High School.

Achievements
Business Today listed Mody as one of the twenty-five most powerful business women in India in September 2004, and again in February 2006. She is a recipient of the Financial Express Knowledge Professional of the Year Award. She was also named one of India's 100 Most Powerful CEOs by the Economic Times in 2004 and 2006. She has also been awarded the Business Women of the Year-2003 by the Financial Express in the category of the Best Knowledge Manager.

Associations

 * Chairperson- Bodhi Global
 * Member - The SEBI Standing Committee on Mutual Funds
 * Member - Capital Markets Committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry
 * Member - National Council on Corporate Governance and Regulatory Framework of the Confederation of Indian Industry
 * Member - Mutual Funds Committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry
 * Director- Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Hong Kong
 * Trustee - New Era High School, Panchgani, Maharashtra
 * Trustee - J. N. Petit Trust, Mumbai.
 * Trustee - Pukar - "Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and Research"

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Bodhi Global
 * Baha'i Faith